Have a heart: Give a pint

The NAU chapter of Cardinal Key, a national student service organization, is sponsoring an American Red Cross blood drive from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 6-10 at the du Bois Conference Center.

In 2005, Cardinal Key blood drives at NAU helped save 1,137 lives of patients in hospitals and clinics throughout Arizona. Cardinal Key is hoping to help save 465 lives in March by collecting 155 units over the five days.

Donors can schedule an appointment and check on their eligibility to donate by calling (800) GIVE-LIFE (448-3543). Blood donors must be in good general health, at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. The Red Cross recommends that donors eat a small low-fat meal or snack and drink plenty of extra non-caffeinated fluids two to four hours before donating. The entire donation process takes about an hour, and includes donor screening, a mini-physical exam, about 10 minutes for drawing a pint of blood and post-donation refreshments.

Donors can give blood safely every 56 days. After it is separated into its components, a single blood donation can help save up to three lives.

"Blood needs in Arizona are constant, and lifesaving blood comes only from volunteer donors," said Debra Deininger, American Red Cross communications manager. "Within Arizona alone, we need to collect about 300 pints of blood per day to maintain adequate blood supplies. Most donated blood, about 65 percent, comes from blood drives such as this."